Lower Merion Police: Months Of Papal Planning Paid Off
By Jim Melwert
LOWER MERION, Pa. (CBS) -- Everything during the Papal visit went off without a hitch in Lower Merion Township, along City Avenue and around St Charles Borremeo Seminary.
Lower Merion Police Superintendent Michael McGrath says months of pre-planning and coordination between numerous agencies paid off. And he says crowds that lined City Avenue to get a glimpse of the Pope were very cooperative – even complimenting and thanking law enforcement.
"It was commented to me by officers in my department, and officers I was meeting for the first time from around the area, many of them noted that the crowd was so appreciative."
McGrath says the biggest crowds -- as the Pope traveled to and from the Seminary, in the many-thousands.
He says there was one arrest, mid-morning Saturday, a DUI after someone tried to run away after crashing a car on Merion Road near Merion train station.
"This individual found himself running into a detail of about 50-national guardsmen and police officers on City Avenue so he didn't get very far."
